Welcome To The Dawning Of The Dark Era
by Atlantis1
Summary: Angel finds out why the Senior Partners want him dark... but is it too late?


TITLE: Welcome to the dawning of the Dark Era  
DISCLAIMER: I don't own the characters. Joss Whedon and those with copyrights do.  
SUMMARY: Angel finds out why the Senior Partners want him dark... but is it too late?  
RATING: R  
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Tissue warning?  
  
------------------------  
  
  
1980 - Los Angeles  
  
"What are you doing?" Darla approached Drusilla who was whimpering like a  
wounded animal, spreading herself on the floor.  
"She's almost here.... And she'll ruin everything....." Drusilla whined.  
"She's going to destroy our happy home...."  
"Who?" Darla asked impatiently.  
Spike entered the room. "What's wrong pet?" He hurried over to Dru, helping her up from the floor.  
"Oh, you two lovebirds, you make my skin peel ..." Darla hissed, turning  
away.  
"The stars are calling her name..." Drusilla hugged Spike's shoulder.  
"Whose name, pet? Should we kill her?"  
Drusilla laughed. "You can't kill her.... She's the sun...."  
"I don't understand why I came here with you. I better keep looking for the  
Master,"  
Darla huffed, annoyed. Ever since the Master left to search for the  
hellmouth, she heard nothing about him. When she met him in 1918, after he  
drained the young Austrian heir, the event that started the First World War,  
she ditched Spike and Drusilla to rejoin him. He promised her he'll let her  
rule at his side. And they both enjoyed seeing the inferior humans fighting  
and killing each other. It was easier for them to feed off people.  
Then, in 1935, the Master decided to go to America and open the Hellmouth.  
He said it was almost time. She didn't want to set foot in her old home  
again and refused to come with him. She found Drusilla and Spike in Spain  
and regrouped with them. But she grew tired and annoyed of them and  
Drusilla's insanity. She missed being the Master's favorite childe. So she  
dragged Drusilla and Spike with her to America, in search of the mystical  
portal to hell.  
"We have to hide from the sun. she will burn us.." Drusilla murmured.  
"We are underground, moron." Darla snickered.  
Dru grasped Spike's shirt. "Home. You must go home. She will turn your  
head to the wrong side. Snaaaappp.." Dru started making snapping noises.  
"Where is home, pet?" Spike asked. "England?"  
Drusilla just kept laughing.  
"Seems like this is the last straw. I'm going." Darla walked out of the  
room.  
She could still hear Drusilla laughing insanely.  
  
2001 - Sunnydale  
  
"What are you doing?" Buffy looked horrified at Spike.  
"Me?" Spike gave her puppy eyes look, then dropped her underpants into  
the laundry basket.  
"I was... looking around while I was waiting for you..." He said, then  
grimaced. "That didn't come out right.."  
She held out her hand in mid air. "I don't want to know." She walked  
over to her desk. "So why are you here?"  
"I thought I'll give myself some credit points-I uh, Drusilla is in  
L.A... an- and Darla too.."  
Buffy looked at him. "Drusilla is in L.A.." Se tried to catch up with  
his words. Then shrugged. "Let Angel kill her then, not my problem." Spike  
chuckled. "She's with Darla, pet. You know who Darla is?"  
"Hmmm.. another vampgirl I assume?" Buffy asked, careless.  
"Try Angel's sire, pet. And from what I heard, Angel is pretty much-"  
"Wait, wait. Darla, Angel's sire? She's dust. I saw it with my own  
eyes. Angel dusted her."  
"Well boo-hoo. She's back and my sources are saying your ex has gone  
insane," Spike shrugged.  
Buffy looked at him suspicious. "And what does that mean?"  
"Who cares? Probably that his soul is no longer intact."  
Buffy's eyes widened in shock. "What?! Who are your sources?"  
Spike grinned. "Old mates. Angel used to bug them. They say now his  
friends are doing the job."  
Buffy paled and she moved away from Spike.  
"I can help you kill him, pet. You won't have to watch."  
  
1980 - Los Angeles  
  
Angel strolled down the street.  
"Watch where you're going!" Some man who bumped into him yelled.  
Angel looked down and kept walking.  
He looked like a homeless man, wrapped in rags, his hair long and messy.  
He looked up when he sensed something familiar.  
A few blocks away, he could see Drusilla and Spike. He rushed into the  
near alley, plastering himself to the wall, hoping they didn't see him.  
"Raunf," Dru let out a small bark. "Bad puppy." She clung onto Spike's  
sleeve.  
"He's here and he will let the sun shine. He wants to destroy us all."  
Drusilla started crying.  
"Don't cry, pet. We're going home. The bad puppy will die." Spike  
comforted her.  
She smiled behind the tears.  
Angel walked stealthily away into the alley.  
  
2001 - Sunnydale  
"Giles, I have to go!" Buffy shouted at him, slamming her fist on the  
desk.  
Giles was pretty calm, his arms folded. "I don't want you to be  
distracted with this issue. Let Angel take care of the problem on his own."  
He leaned forward a little bit. "We have our own problems here, don't you  
think?"  
Buffy sighed, "I know... but what if he has gone evil again. Who will be  
able to stop him, if it's true?"  
"And you think you can? Buffy, can you kill Angel?"  
Buffy looked away. "I... I... someone has to..." She murmured.  
Giles shook his head. "Let Wesley and Cordelia take care of it, you  
don't need to be involved."  
"They're only humans. A slayer needs to face him. And Faith is in  
Jail."  
"What about Dawn, Buffy? You can't just leave her without-" "I'll take her  
with me. She can stay with dad..." "There isn't anything I can say that will  
change your mind, is there?"  
Buffy gave him an innocent smile. "I don't think so."  
He sighed. "I don't like you fighting all three of them alone."  
"I'm a Slayer. I can manage. Besides, Spike offered his help..."  
"Spike? Against Drusilla?"  
"I know... that chip sure made him..." Buffy shrugged, "Um,  
un-Spike-y?"  
  
2001 - Los Angeles  
  
"Buffy!" Cordelia was surprised to see Buffy standing at her door.  
She turned to Wesley and Gunn, "Well what do you know? It's Angel's  
other blonde." She turned back to Buffy. "Are you here to mess him up some  
more?"  
"Cordelia," Buffy started saying but Wesley stopped her.  
"Buffy come in," He said softly, reaching out for her.  
He jumped when Spike came into view behind Buffy.  
"Buffy, look out!" Cordelia called when she saw him.  
"He's a vampire!" She smacked Gunn's shoulder and he hurried to take  
out a stake.  
"He's good now!" Buffy said.  
"Hey!" Spike protested.  
"Well, he can't bite," Buffy shrugged.  
"Is he cursed?" Wesley asked, examining Spike.  
"I don't have a bloody soul!" Spike exclaimed.  
"I'm not inviting him in." Cordelia said and Buffy turned to Spike.  
"Stay put."  
Wesley closed the door in Spike's face.  
"What is it with you and tamed vampires?" Cordelia asked.  
"I'm impressed," Gunn looked at Buffy.  
"So do you care to fill me in?" Buffy asked, deciding to skip the  
subject of Spike.  
"How did you know where I live?" Cordelia asked her.  
"Aura told me, she said you have a roommate?"  
A flower flew in the air from a vase to Buffy's hand.  
Cordelia smiled, "That's Phantom Dennis... and he likes you."  
Buffy looked around. "Cool.."  
  
"So he's not evil again," Buffy tried to catch up with Wesley and  
Cordy.  
Wesley nodded. "He has a soul, but he's..."  
"Insane. Totally. He cares about nothing and nobody." Cordy interrupted him.  
"Is there any way he can... snap out of it?"  
"Maybe when he kills the girls," Gunn suggested.  
"Where is he? At the Hotel?" Buffy looked at them.  
Cordy bit her lip. "Maybe you shouldn't go there, you might throw him  
off balance.. he's-"  
"He let them kill a bunch of lawyers. He got his mind off the right  
path, and someone need to punch it back to him."  
"Punch, huh? I like this girl," Gunn smiled.  
"I'm going." Buffy said.  
"You'll need help," Wesley pointed.  
"Spike."  
"Don't stake him! He's still good," Cordy grabbed Buffy's arm.  
Buffy looked at her. "How could I ever stake him?"  
  
1980 - Los Angeles  
  
Drusilla and Spike hurried down the street.  
"Let me kill the sun for you, pet," Spike said when they stopped  
walking.  
"No, you will burn." She said, grazing her nail across his face. He  
turned his face to her and kissed her.  
"She is there..." She pointed at a building.  
"A Theater? She's in the movies?"  
Drusilla let out a growl.  
  
Outside the theater, people started flowing out.  
A vampire came from the corner and grabbed a young pregnant woman,  
dragging her to the alley.  
He covered the woman's mouth, muffling her screams. He uncovered her  
neck.  
  
2001 - Los Angeles  
  
Just as Spike drove by the Hyperion, they saw Angel speeding out of  
there with his car.  
"Follow him," Buffy ordered and Spike drove after him.  
"How come he got such a bloody cool car?" Spike muttered.  
"Wait, wait... stop the car!" Buffy called.  
"What's wrong?" Spike asked, slowing down. "The vampires that we just  
passed... they're hunting..." She grasped her stake tight.  
"You have to rub it?" Spike muttered again and she smacked his arm.  
"Angel is going to the law firm, we'll find him later." Buffy jumped  
out of the car and rushed over to the group of four vampires.  
They were crowding two very frightened girls.  
"Hey!" Buffy called and made the vampires turn around. "Are you waiting for  
the Jerry Springer Show's auditions?" She asked them and they snarled in  
response. Spike vamped and punched the first vampire to approach them. "Yes!  
I'm hot!" Spike was excited.  
Buffy was fighting two vampires at a time and managed to stake them  
both efficiently, while Spike staked the other two.  
"Take the girls to the hospital and meet me at the firm," Buffy said  
and started running by foot along the road.  
  
"Are you looking for a lawyer too?" Darla smirked at Angel, her mouth  
dribbling blood.  
Drusilla put her fingers in her mouth. "I like judges better. They make my  
head spin..." She dropped the dead lawyer to the floor.  
Angel chuckled, but didn't say a word.  
"Why, Angel, the sun is coming to burn you..." Drusilla took a step  
back, then smiled, gazing into space.  
"So, Angel, grab a lawyer. You know you want to." Darla said, glancing  
over at Lindsey and Lilah, who were standing with a few other lawyers  
in the lobby of the Wolfram & Hart building. They were all quiet and  
frightened.  
"I think we'll do things according to the law now, *my* law." Darla turned  
around hearing a familiar voice.  
"Hello, Darla. Heard you're back. Big mistake," Buffy smiled at  
her and staked her before Darla could even say a word.  
"Great law. Slayer slays."  
"Why did you do it? It wasn't your fight!" Angel lashed out at her,  
stepping closer.  
"Wrong, Angel." Buffy looked sternly at him. "This is MY fight. MY war. I'm  
the Slayer, remember? One girl in all the world yadda-yadda? I believe L.A's  
a part of it. This is not your city anymore, you failed." Buffy confronted  
him.  
His reaction surprised her. He sent his fist to her face.  
She staggered backwards, dazed, then shook her head and lunged at him.  
"The sun will burn and take us all..." Drusilla mumbled.  
  
All the lawyers in the room watched fascinated as the slayer and the vampire  
fought. Their movements were fast and furious. Their blows were so strong  
a normal human being would have had his skull crushed if he received such  
a hit.  
  
They seemed almost matched in power, but Buffy was slightly overmatching  
Angel.  
  
Buffy kicked Angel and he flew across the room. He landed behind a desk.  
Buffy approached him, only to find herself facing his sword.  
"Angel," She tried to reason with him. "You need to calm down. Your friends  
need you. So many people need you..." She looked intensely at the sword. "I  
need you."  
"Get out of my way!" He hissed. "If you don't want to die."  
"I won't let you kill these people. If you kill them, it doesn't make you  
better than them. I know you are good, Angel." She talked slowly, as if he  
were a child.  
Angel hit her with the knob of the sword. "Get out of my way..." He growled,  
vamping out.  
  
"Buffy!" Spike walked into the lobby.  
"Welcome," Drusilla faced him. "To the end of the world..." She grinned  
evilly. "As they know it..."  
"My black goddess," Spike looked at her in awe. She sent him her hand and he  
kissed it. "You came back for me," He whispered, forgetting all about the  
reasons he came there.  
  
"Are you sure this is going according to the plan?" Lilah asked Lindsey. "He  
wants to kill us."  
Lindsey smiled, "Don't you see who he's fighting? It's the First Slayer."  
Lilah looked at Buffy who slammed Angel on the wall. "Seems young to me, The  
First Slayer is prehistorical, I've done my homework."  
"Then you get a D... The First Slayer's energy is restored in this girl.  
She's  
  
got the key."  
  
1980  
  
The vampire snarled and was about to sink his fangs in the frightened  
woman's neck when someone, storming through the alley, bumped into him and  
threw him off the pregnant woman.  
"Help me..." The woman tried to scream, but she was terrified when she saw  
the vampire's face and fainted, her body sliding over the wall.  
"Watch where you're going!" The vampire growled, looking at the man who  
bumped into him.  
"I'm sorry," Angel whispered and staked him quickly with a piece of wood he  
was holding. "I'll be careful next time." He walked away, his face wearing a  
blank expression again.  
  
2001  
  
Angel grabbed Buffy's hand, keeping the stake away from him. "Are you going  
to stake me for them?" He looked into her eyes. "They aren't humans. They  
are worse than demons. The things they do... the things they work for..."  
Buffy didn't lower her eyes nor make an effort to move away her hand.  
"Every one should have the chance to get his soul back. Don't you think,  
Angel?"  
"Not them. They will bring Armageddon."  
"We'll fight it. We can do it together."  
"I can do it alone." Angel twisted her hand and threw her away from him.  
He moved towards the lawyers who tried to disappear into the wall. He raised  
his sword at Lindsey. The young lawyer didn't even blink.  
"You leave me no choice..." Buffy got up and moved behind Angel with her  
stake.  
"Behind you!" Lindsey called and Angel instinctively turned around sharply  
and jammed his sword through Buffy. She gasped, looking at him wide eyed  
with horror. His face reverted back to human and he looked horrified at what  
he's done.  
"You killed me..." She whispered, her skin paling.  
"Buffy..." Angel said quietly, and stepped towards her.  
Weakened, Buffy dropped down to her knees.  
Angel knelt in front of her, and Buffy moaned when he pulled the sword out  
of her abdomen and threw it away.  
"Buffy..." He whispered and caressed her cheek with his hand.  
"It hurts... but it's all right..." She closed her eyes briefly. "I almost..  
don't feel the pain anymore..."  
"I love you. You'll be fine," tears streamed down Angel's face with the  
realization of what he's done.  
"I love you..." Buffy whispered and her limp body collapsed against Angel.  
  
Angel heard someone clapping his hands. He looked up and saw Nathan.  
"My friend, welcome to the beginning of the dark era." Nathan stepped  
towards Angel, who let go of Buffy and stood up to face him.  
"Well done, Angel, you have fulfilled the Senior Partners plans. Now with  
the First Slayer gone, and the other slayer held in prison, there is no one  
to fight the last battle."  
"Wrong." Angel said and took out his lighter. "There will always be one."  
He dropped the lighter and the fire caught the gasoline he spilled all over  
the place in advance. The lawyers started screaming and running around.  
"Let's get out of here, pet." Spike pulled Drusilla's hand.  
"The sun is burning.." Drusilla's weepings turned into small giggles.  
  
1980  
  
The woman found her way out of the alley. She looked around confused.  
"Hank?" She called out in a trembled voice.  
"Joyce! I looked all over for you!" Her young husband ran over to her and  
held her. "Are you all right?"  
"Yeah, and the baby is fine too." She put her hand on her big stomach.  
"She's fine..."  
  
THE END (or is it?)  



End file.
